Embroidered tableclothes and pillow slips were cherished belongings. See the Sewing Machine to the right?
Some items that immigrants brought with them to America. They were not allowed to bring much with them so these items were precious to them.
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Ellis Island still haunts me. I cannot describe it.
I am posting some of it, anyway.
Before they were allowed tickets on a ship, they had to pay passage both to America and for their return, in case they were not accepted. Sometimes one or two members of a family were not accepted.
It was primarily the people who traveled Steerage on the Ships that had to go through Ellis Island. If you were First or Second Class, you could be easily processed in comfort on the Ship. The poor were the ones who were closely examined. They were trying to leave behind them stark poverty and oppression.
A Sample of some of the cards used for the Literacy test.
All different languages.
I had to laugh out loud when I saw this.
Because...
Each card used in the literacy test was a Bible Scripture!! Both old and new Testament. The scriptures are all different.
This one is Psalm 6:5,6,7 and written in Roumanian and English.
"For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim. I water my couch with my tears.
Mine eye is consumed because of grief."
We were, after all, a Christian Nation!
But, are we now a Christian Nation??
What do you think?
Do you want us to be a Christian Nation?
Leave a comment Yes or No.
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This comment is an add on - Dec. 8
Today's Verse:
...be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
I did not realize the depth of comments I might get from the questions I asked at the end of my post. This is, after all , a sewing blog. But it also reflects me and who I am. Because of the scripture that is displayed on my little side widget today (printed above), I feel convicted to comment.
I am an evangelical Christian woman who believes the Bible is the word of God and 1 Timothy 2:3-6 "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wishes all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who give himself a ransom for all"
I would like others to experience the love, mercy and grace of Jesus and come to know the perfect peace and joy that comes only from Him.
I know everyone does not believe what I believe.
And I am thankful to live in a country where I can tell people what I believe.
The comment at the end of the post was really about this country and how it was founded on Christian principles. It was founded on Christian principles. The Scripture based Literacy cards were not controversial at the time. God was a part of our country. You can visit the Church in Philadelphia where some of the important founding fathers of our country worshiped. You can not hear the word God or Jesus spoken on the tour of the Church because those words are not allowed (by law) to be spoken, even in the Church where they heard the word of God spoken weekly. I know this because I asked after the tour ended. To me that sounds like Censorship instead of freedom. The history books are being changed to take out the truth about our country. Denying that God influenced the lives of those who founded our country. Denying the Truth does not sound like freedom to me. It sounds like censorship. When I return to tour Ellis Island again, will the government have removed the display of the Scripture cards that were used for the Literacy test? It's a little scary , if you ask me.
A government does not make a nation Christian, the people do.
It is a choice, not a law.
I thank all of you who left a comment.
